Daily Archives: March 21, 2013

Shirley Jean “Red” Padgett, 59, of Macclenny died on March 15, 2013 at her residence. She was born on January 21, 1954 in Macclenny to Janette Mikell Wilkerson and the late Junior “Satch” Wilkerson. Shirley attended Emmanuel Baptist Church before her illness. She enjoyed sewing, arts and crafts, collecting dolls and spending time with family. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 37 years, Buster Padgett; daughter Linnie Ann Padgett; her son Buster Padgett Jr.; brothers-in-law Arlie Barton and Neil Crews.

Allen Ray Van Meter, 56, of Brooker, FL died at his residence on Friday March 15, 2013 with his family by his side. He was born on September 10, 1956 in Portland, Oregon. Allen resided in Brooker the past nine years after living in Macclenny for many years. He was the owner and operator of Jubilee Pallets, Inc. of Jacksonville for 23 years.

Mr. Van Meter was a member of First Assembly of God in Gainesville and active in a prison ministry, serving Duval, Columbia, Baker, Alachua and Bradford counties for many years. He was active with the Baker County Little League Association where he spent endless hours helping with his son Jesse’s baseball teams. He loved to fish, play cards and shoot pool.

Three adults and four teens participated in the 2013 St. Mary’s River Cleanup, which got underway in Baker County at the Steel Bridge Road boat ramp at 7:30 am on March 16.

Bryant Thrift supplied the airboat that allowed volunteers to travel up the river to the Nassau County line to collect additional litter and debris. Kevin Shell, who serves on the St. Mary’s River Management Committee with Greg Sheppard, estimated the group removed hundreds of pounds of trash from the river and its shores.

The committee, which consists of residents and elected officials in Baker, Nassau, Camden and Charlton counties, organizes the cleanup and the lunch celebration that follows it each year. The committee meets on the first Monday evening of each month in Callahan.

A 26-year-old Lake City woman died yesterday after the 2005 Kia Optima she was driving crossed into the path of an oncoming logging truck on U.S. 90 about 5 am.

Lindsay Danielle Chace was heading east and the 2001 International semi tractor-trailer driven by Ernest Thomas Williams, 43, of Jacksonville was heading west when the Kia, for a reason still under investigation, crossed the center line and hit the truck head on, according to Trooper K. Hilliard of Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

As the semi and Kia left the roadway and into the southern tree line, the vehicles struck the front of a 1994 Cadillac that was trailing the Kia.